The Steelers finally broke their silence during the free agency “tampering” period on Tuesday, landing a former first-round linebacker from their AFC North division rival Ravens.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pittsburgh plans to sign LB Patrick Queen, Baltimore’s 2020 first-round pick, to a three-year, $41 million contract.
General manager Omar Khan continues to break the mold with Queen’s signing as he becomes the Steelers’ highest-paid free-agent signing in franchise history. The $13.6M per year deal easily surpasses the previous high of offensive lineman James Daniels’ $8.83M per year and for good reason.
Queen has been one of the most productive inside linebackers in the league over the past couple of years, posting 250 tackles, 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions and 12 defensed passes.
It can be argued that his numbers are so good because he’s been playing next to All-Pro LB Roquan Smith. In the two seasons before Smith arrived, Queen had 204 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one interception and three defensed passes.
However, Queen fills a major need for the Steelers, who have been searching for a sideline-to-sideline linebacker since losing Ryan Shazier to a spinal injury in 2017.
The Steelers also watched linebackers Cole Holcomb (knee) and Kwon Alexander (Achilles) suffer season-ending injuries last season. Holcomb’s return timeline remains unknown, and Alexander is a free agent.
The belief around the league was that the 24-year-old could have made upwards of $18 million per year, but it seems he took a pay cut to be able to face his former team at least two times a year.
It just so happens that the news also broke within an hour of the Ravens announcing the signing of former Titans running back Derrick Henry, setting up yet another exciting season for one of the NFL’s best rivalries.
